Body lifter



April 28,' 1925;Y 1,535,263 H. H. BRENNAN BODY LIFTER Filed Jan. '7, 19,22

Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES y 1,535,208"V PATENT OFFICE.

IIOMER II. DRENNAN,'oFcoNNERsvILLn INDIANA, `AssIGN`oR To UNDERTAKEns SUPPLY COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A COBBORATIOIN OF ILLINOIS.

v BODY' LIFIERS Application led January 7, 1922. vSerial No. 527,672.

To all *whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Holman H. BRENNAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Connersville, in the county of Fayette and State of Indiana., have invented `a certainnew and useful Improvement, in Body Lifters, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates Vto body lifters and more `particularly to a device which is adapted to aid in lifting corpses in undertaking.

lt is a purpose of the invention to provide a device for aiding in the lifting of heavyl weights by a single person, particularlyiin lifting an object in a limp form.

It is'more specically a purpose of the` invention to provide a harness-like device, which 1s adapted to `be `passed over the shoulders and under the arms of the wearer.

and which is provided with a central pad or plate to which the members that pass over the shoulders are secured." and from which a flexible member provided with al securing device depends, said securing device being adapted 'to be secured toa ring on a flexible member which is adapted tobe passed medially about an object that is to be married, particularly about an elongated object which can be grasped by the hands of the `person carrying the same on opposite ends from where the flexible member passes around the same. Said device is particularly usefiilfortlle purposes of lifting bodies from one place to another where only one person is available for doing this work.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the descriptionotl the accompanying drawings proceeds. However, I desire to have it distinctly understood that l do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described', but

that l intend to include as part of my inventionall such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art andas would fall within the scope of. the claims In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front .view partly broken away showing the lifting device applied to a person carrying a dead body;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the lifting device;

Fig.' f3 is a. fragmentary view thereof partly in section showing the flexible banc -like members secured thereto; and

Fig. 4 1s a plan view of the buckle used on the strap member.

improved body "lifter comprises a central supporting' member 5 which comprises a rear plate 6 of heavy leather orsimilar material, and front cover members 7 and 8 of lighter leather, said members 7 and Sbeing secured to the member G by means of stitching 9, or Vinany. other suitable manner, padding material 43 being provided between the layers 6 and 7. Extending from the supporting member 5 are the straps 10 and 10 which are secured thereto in any desired manner, as forinstance, by heilig stitched by means of the stitching' S). The flexible straps 10 and 10 extend through the buckle members 11 and 11 to the hookcarrying members 12 and 12, said hook carrying members 12 and 12 comprising the eyes 1 3 and 13 through which the straps or other' suitable flexible members 10 and 10 extend, and the hooks 14 and l-l. The flexiblestraps 10 and 10 are looped back from the members 12 and 12 to the buckles 11 and 11. and are secured thereto at the ends thereof in any suitable or well known man-y ner.` to adjust the length of the flexible straplike members `1() and 10, as willbe well understood.

Secured to the supporting` men'iber 5 are the loops of flexible material 15 and 15 which have the material of the members 1G" and 16 extending therethrough, said members 1G and 1G being provided with the elongated eyes 17 and 17"a'nd with the eyes' 1S and 18 for receiving the hook members 141: and 111-. A flexible member 19 extends downwardly from the member 5, said flexible member beii'ig preferablyv made of a double thickness of material and being secured to the rear plate 6 by 'means ofV the rivets 20.

`Said rivets may also be used for securing the The buckle members 11 and 11 serve Referring in det-ail to thedrawings, the

adapted to engage with a ring 28 on a flexible member A529 said ring Q8 being,- secured to the flexible member by means of the flexible material 30, which is stitched to the member 29 at 3l, to Secure said ring' 28 on said flexible member. The flexible member 2f) is practically made of a double thickness of material, and is provided at one end thereotl with a metal tip 32, and at the other end `thereof with aI buckle 33, said material being looped back over a cross bar 234; of said buckle to secure said buckle to said flexible material` Mounted on the side bars 85 of the buckle frame a slidable member haring the sleevelike portions '36 slidably engaging the side bars 35 and being' provided with an upturned flange 3T, which is adapted to be engaged by the finger or any other member to more the locking' member of the buckle out of' locking' position. Said locking;` member is provided with a cross bar 538 haring teeth S9 which are adapted to engage with the flexible material to hold the same in posh tion by clamping' the same between the cross bar 38 and the cross bar sift. particularly when the end of the belt hayinpr the metal tip 32 is passed between the end cross bar 40 and the other portion of the strap-like or flexible member.

lt will be seen that as the locking member haring' the flange 3T moyed toward the lett in Fig. il. the teeth 39 will engage with the flexible material locking the flexible member 2( against moyennantrelative to the' buckle. while it the flange 3T is pushed toward the right, the teeth 39 disengag'e the flexible member 29 and allow moyement thereof to any desired extent.

In Fie'. l is'shown a man lil with the straps 1t) and l0 extending over his shoulders. and with lthe pad or plate. 5 resting against the forward portion of the body.'and with the flexible member if) secured to the 'depending strap 1.9 by the inter-engagement of the hook 2T and oye 2S. the flexible member 29 being' passed around a corpse l2, said figure showing' the manner in which the body can be carried with the aid of ythisl device. bysupportmfby the extremities by the used for otherobjects. as well: as that which has been referred to above, it being particularly important that. the weight to be carried is supported 'from the shoulders,.so as to give a maximum lifting power to the person using the device when it is necessary to lift a weight practically the equal .of or greater than the weight of the person usine' the device.

Haring' thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by S. Letters PatentI is:

l. The combination of a lifting harness comprising' a central supporting member, a pair of adjustable shoulder straps secured thereto and a flexible member depending' therefrom. a band of flexible material adapt-` ed to be. passed around au object. said band having' means .for detachably securing' the ends thereof together whereby the same may be formed into a loop. and means for detachably connecting said baud to said flexible member. i

A body lifter comprising a central plate. shoulder straps secured thereto. a flexible member dependingr therefron'i. a band of flexible material hayingav buckle at one end thereof whereby the same may be adjusted to form a loop of any desired size. and cooperating securing: dcyices on said flexible member and said band for detachably securing` said band to said flexible mene bei'.

il, body lifter comprising' a central plate. adjustable shoulder straps secured thereto. said straps beine' detachable from said plate at one end thereof. a flexible member depending' therefrom. a band of flexible material haringy a buckle at one end thereof whereljiy the same may be zuljusted to form a loop of any desired size` and cooperating securing dcyices on` said flexible member and said band for detachably securing said band to said 'flexible member.

if. A. device of' the character described. comprising' a padded bearing: member. a pair of shoulder .straps secured at both ends thereto. and a Vflexible member dependingr therefrom. lsaid flexible member haring' a fastening' device on the free end thereof.

ln witness whereof. I hereunto subscribe my name this lfth day of December A. D.. nel.. 

